Join us for this engaging SSC Research to Practice Webinar for Building and District Coaches, Teacher Leaders and School Leaders!
Leading Difficult Conversations in the School Setting
February 26, 2026 | 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. EST
Are you in a role where you support, coach, or supervise educators? Join UD School Success Center (SSC) Specialists for a practical, research-informed webinar on leading difficult conversations with educators to influence reflective, student-centered instruction aligned to school and educator goals.
Participants will learn strategies to provide clear, purposeful feedback that reduces defensiveness, ignites reflection, and supports meaningful changes in practice. We will explore how instructional leaders diagnose challenges, adapt their approach, and partner with educators to establish shared purpose and accountability.
The session will focus on preparing for feedback conversations, grounding discussions in student and practice-based evidence, and engaging educators who may feel resistant, misunderstood, or disempowered. Participants will examine how narratives shape behavior and learn techniques to reframe conversations toward growth, agency, and improvement.
Attendees will leave with simple, actionable strategies for leading hard conversations, following up effectively, and coaching educators toward measurable next steps.
About the SSC Research to Practice Webinar Series
The Research to Practice Series features professional development seminars led by staff members of the School Success Center, a unit within the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Delaware. The Research to Practice Series fosters and promotes all educators as instructional leaders by synthesizing and practicing research and evidence-based practices, allowing for immediate classroom and school application.
Our Presenters: Chester Cox and Dr. Jaime True Daley
Chester Cox is a Leadership Specialist from the Delaware Academy of School Leadership at the University of Delaware’s School Success Center with over 30 years of experience as a public school teacher, building principal, and district leader. As a principal, he led Star Hill Elementary as they earned National Blue Ribbon status in 2012. As a district leader, Chester led initiatives for principals to improve conditions for student learning in their buildings which resulted in instructional staff becoming better equipped to engage and teach a diverse population of students. As a Leadership Specialist, Chester has a vested interest in supporting teacher leaders and school administrators as they work to educate students from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. He has provided leadership coaching to a host of administrators throughout the state and has delivered professional learning opportunities across Delaware and the nation.
Jaime True Daley believes everybody can and everyone belongs. To that aim, she serves as an Assistant Director at the School Success Center, partnering with districts to establish strong multi-tiered systems with strategic, intensive, and specially-designed instruction. She earned her Doctorate in Special Education from Johns Hopkins University in 2016 and began at UD in 2017 developing and teaching graduate courses for the M.Ed. in Exceptional Children and Youth. Prior to joining UD, she served in various capacities across PK-12 settings, achieving Teacher of the Year and National Board Certification. She enjoys all things outdoors, especially playing golf with her husband and seashell seeking with her family.